Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Thursday, 9 August 2018
ARC REVIEW : Cort—Unbreakable (Man Up #4) by Felice Stevens
Cort
I spent years waiting for someone who never put me first.
He took my love, took me for granted.
Took my heart.
Now I’m on my own.
Living life my way.
The crowd only sees my smile.
Never my loneliness and pain.
I need someone to need me.
When I meet another lost soul my friends try to warn me.
He’s a liar.
A user.
Homeless.
Heartbroken.
He’s all that and more.
He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
Harlan
I’m king of my world.
Untouchable.
Then it all comes crashing down.
My secrets are exposed.
I’m cut off from my family.
Unrecognizable from the man I used to be.
Barely surviving, living day-to-day and out of control.
Nothing to hold on to.
I let go and fall so far there’s no way up.
Until a cowboy reaches into my darkness and brings me back to the light.
With him I can breathe.
I can be who I am.
Who he needs.
He gives me hope
To find myself.
REVIEW:
To find love.
Cort—Unbreakable by Felice StevensMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I didn’t really knew Cort beside that he’s a dancing cowboy who loves Austin and Frankie, and lost without them after his best friends made couples. Knowing he’s a big sweet nugget inside after Felice ‘introduced’ us to Harlan.
Um, Harlan who, I asked myself. Then my friend Hope gave me a hint about ‘Harlan the bully’ that I hated so much for making Oren’s life miserable (One Call Away). Oooh…that Harlan.
While here I thought that Harlan is just another bad guy we need to hate until the end of the world, Felice gave him one more, two, three more chance to redeem himself, through meeting Cort.
Am I sorry? Hell, yeah. Not sorry I got caught out. Sorry I let myself get to that point. But I can’t live with regrets. Regrets serve no purpose except to keep me thinking about the past, and I’m done with who I was.”
Even before this book when Harlan showed up on Frankie’s book, I felt something for him. Pity? Sadness? I think, I recognized this situation very well.
Because yeah, people made mistakes, people made a mess in their lives, but some never had have a chance to change their lives into the better. As a counselor I’ve met many people like Harlan in real life. Most of them who came to me, wanted to change, wanted redemption, but what makes them getting more lost and desperate to the level of depression, is that they don’t know what to do, their family kicked them out without really ‘listening’, and they have nobody who accepted them, someone like Cort.
There's one scene that really broke my heart, the one with Oren. Thanks for the tears, Felice! I wanted to hold Harlan and put him in my purse so he can't hurt again :(
Cort, bless his heart. I love him so much. He’s the one that easiest to love between the three friends, me think. He’s too adorable, too sweet, too kind, and too sexy (ehem!).
“Have you spent time with him?” I jerked my thumb toward Cort. “Look at him. Gorgeous, sweet, and hot as hell. It’s like the trifecta of all that is holy. Who could resist that?”
Felice outdid herself in Harlan and Cort story, mostly for Harlan. Harlan was a horrible person back then, but he had a reason, and it was heartbreaking. I can’t hate him for that.
"If I'd been with you for ten years, you'd know exactly how I felt about you. You aren't nothing. You're everything. Everything I used to dream about but never dared to allow myself to want"
IMO, Felice writes one of the best redemption stories, and I knew this is going to be continued, because I’m now impatiently waiting for James and Malcolm’s story. I heard nothing but hate about these two.
But, hey, it’s Felice, remember? Anything, I mean, anything could happen!
Recommended!
* ARC provided by the author for an honest and unbiased review*.
Pictures courtesy of the author.
View all my reviews
Thursday, 2 August 2018
Cover Reveal CONFESSIONS: PRIEST by Ella Frank
Confessions: Priest, book three in the steamy contemporary MMM Confessions Series from Ella Frank, is coming August 20th!
Confessions: Priest by Ella Frank
Genre: Contemporary MMM Romance
Publishing Date: August 20th, 2018
Cover Designer: Hang Le
Photographer: Mark Short Photography
Model: Alexander MacKenzie
I am complex.
My love is all-encompassing.
And when it comes to my heart, there is only one rule:
Don’t mess with what’s mine.
Until the age of seven, I was Joel Alexander Donovan, son of Jimmy.
The man who terrorized a town and made its citizens fear
the very ground he walked on. Including me,
the day I realized that ground ran red with blood.
At age eighteen, I became Priest.
A man without a past.
A man determined to right the wrongs of my father.
A man who never believed anyone could love the son of such a monster.
But then a thief stole my heart.
A sweetheart lit up my world.
And I forgot for a moment you should never turn your back on your enemy.
And thus begins a lesson to those who would seek to harm: Never underestimate what the Priest will do to protect the Princess and the Prick.
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2MbqMTy
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/confessionsrobbie
Add To Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EWp3Aq
About Ella
Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.
Connect with Ella:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllaFrank2012
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellafrank1/
Website: https://www.ellafrank.com/portfolio
Monday, 23 July 2018
ARC REVIEW : A Little Bit like Desire (South Haven #2) by Brooke Blaine
A Little Bit Like Desire, an all-new STANDALONE contemporary MM romance from USA Today bestselling author Brooke Blaine is LIVE!
What if you had everything in the world you wanted...except the man you never knew you needed?
Shaw Jennings, the seductive, enigmatic owner of Body Electric Tattoo works hard and plays even harder. He’s built a life he’s proud of, and though that doesn’t include a significant other, he’s got plenty of sexy men to keep his bed warm at night. None of them have ever made Shaw sit up and take notice for long, though. But that all changes when a famous rock star walks through his door.
Trent Knox had the world in the palm of his hand as the lead singer of TBD, one of the biggest rock bands in history…until the day he walked away. A getaway to South Haven Island seems like the perfect place for Trent to find himself again and reignite his passion for music. But what he never expects is to find his muse in a six-five, tatted-up badass whose sinful smile he can’t get out of his mind.
The only problem? Trent’s a notorious womanizer, and Shaw isn’t interested in being someone’s experiment—muse or otherwise. But in a town as small as this one, Shaw is finding it more and more difficult to keep the persistent rocker at arm’s length.
As the tension between them builds, maybe it’s time to finally give in and get carried away with something a little bit like...desire.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2A13Owl
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ALittleBitLikeDesir
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2lU71ns
Start the series of standalones today!
A Little Bit Like Love
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2h40Ltx
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ALittleBitLikeLovesale
Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/ShbNqD
About Brooke:
Brooke Blaine is a USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance that ranges from comedy to suspense to erotic. The latter has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.
If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for years. Or you can reach her at www.BrookeBlaine.com.
Connect with Brooke:
Website: http://www.brookeblaine.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrookeBlaine.Writer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrookeBlaine1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/brookeblaine1/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1i2g15S
Brooke & Ella's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas
The M/M Daily Grind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/941204085967883
If you’d like to be the FIRST to know about a new release, sale, giveaway, or upcoming signings & events, make sure to join Brooke’s mailing list:
A Little Bit like Desire by Brooke BlaineMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I thought that I'm going to have Bash's story after Jackson and Lucas, Brooke came with Trent and Shaw's story.
And it started very well and yummy indeed in Bash's dark room one night.
Like we're always know that Bash is a queen and a little kinky with his 'house party', he led Shaw to his dark room, and let Shaw having a little delicious adventure in the dark with an unknown stranger.
I knew from the very beginning that night that it was a start of Shaw and Trent.
This is actually a slow burn romance between the two of them, sans that one night of course.
I liked it how much Trent and Shaw moving towards each other unconsciously and the chemistry between them is stellar.
This is a sexy friends to lovers romance, and Trent and Shaw were having 'that bond' right from the start. And Bash, oh Bash, bless his queen's heart, he knew that he did the right thing that night!
But Trent and Shaw were cme from a very different background, and as a musician, Trent is definitely cannot just sit near Shaw forever, right? And Shaw, will he fit in Trent's world if they're decided to be together?
They're definitely had to work hard for it, to be together and be happy, or...?
This is the second book of the series, and I'm loving this series so much.
Now I need Bash's story ASAP!
Recommended read!
* I red the ARC of this book for a fair and unbiased review*
View all my reviews
ARC REVIEW : Risk Taker (Mixed Messages #3) by Lily Morton
Being in love with your best friend is hard.
Henry’s the odd man out. All his friends are settling down, and his reputation as the Hook-Up King of London seems more like a curse than a blessing these days. Especially when it keeps photojournalist Ivo, his best friend and the brilliant man he’s loved since they were fifteen, at arm’s length. But that’s where Ivo wants him, right? Putting aside his feelings, Henry decides to give up casual sex and look for the real deal. After all, he has no chance with Ivo - or does he?
Henry is everything to Ivo. Best friend, soul mate, the one person who has never let him down. The one person he is loyal to above everything and everyone. But Henry’s in a box marked best friend and that’s where Ivo’s kept him for nearly twenty years, despite steadily falling in love with the gentle man. And besides, why would Henry want to date Ivo? Burned out and injured, he’s the walking embodiment of damaged.
Distance has helped Henry and Ivo keep a lid on their attraction, but when they find themselves in the same city for a change—Ivo hurt and needing assistance, and Henry more than willing to provide it—the two best friends grow closer than ever, forcing a realization, and a decision. Risk their friendship for their hearts? Or can they have both?
From the bestselling author of Rule Breaker and Deal Maker comes a tender love story about two best friends who are perfect for each other, and always have been - if only they knew it.
This is the third book in the Mixed Messages series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Risk Taker by Lily MortonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Love never really dies. It just goes underground and hides if you mistreat it" "
When I first started this, I was expecting many laughs like the first two books. Yes, I'd got laughs, some silly moments, but there's some more serious talk about what love should be.
This is a very slow burn, and I almost losing my patience for these two. They need communication skills, despite of Henry is a lawyer who supposed to talk a lot, he had a hard time to talk to the love of his life. For years. let me repeat. For years.
"No matter how far I got, I still came home."
"To your house?"
"No, him. He's home.""
Ivo keep running away from home to prove to is late father that that's a life he wants, but he always coming home to Henry. And hated every time Henry with someone else. But, again, he didn't tell.
They're best friend for life since they're fifteen, and both were afraid it will change if they're together. How wrong was that?
Because it's obvious that Henry cannot live without Ivo, and Ivo cannot bare to live without knowing that Henry will wait for him. Henry is the only home he knew.
"It’s typical of my life that the one time I make a resolution to forget him, he turns around and gives me a hundred reasons to remember him."
While I adore the second book (because of Billy), I was a little bit irritated and wanted to dive into the book and give Henry and Ivo some of my words about how stupid and blind they were.
But, I'm glad after more than 90% mark, they talked! Finally talked!
“When I die, I’ll have your name on my lips, and my last thought will be of you.”"
There's a strong HEA between them and the other guys in the previous books, that made me so happy. Cannot wait for another books in this series. Or a new series? Either one is fine with me.
I enjoyed this book, mostly because it made me held my breath for so long, waiting for 'the moment' to come.
Side note : I loved the sex in public space they made, and not just once!
Recommended!
View all my reviews
Monday, 9 July 2018
COVER REVEAL: A Little Bit Like Desire by Brooke Blaine
A Little Bit Like Desire, an all-new STANDALONE contemporary MM romance from USA Today bestselling author Brooke Blaine is coming July 23rd!
A Little Bit Like Desire by Brooke Blaine
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
Publishing Date: July 23rd, 2018
Cover Designer: Hang Le
Photographer: Eric Battershell
Model: Andrew England
What if you had everything in the world you wanted...except the man you never knew you needed?
Shaw Jennings, the seductive, enigmatic owner of Body Electric Tattoo works hard and plays even harder. He’s built a life he’s proud of, and though that doesn’t include a significant other, he’s got plenty of sexy men to keep his bed warm at night. None of them have ever made Shaw sit up and take notice for long, though. But that all changes when a famous rock star walks through his door.
Trent Knox had the world in the palm of his hand as the lead singer of TBD, one of the biggest rock bands in history…until the day he walked away. A getaway to South Haven Island seems like the perfect place for Trent to find himself again and reignite his passion for music. But what he never expects is to find his muse in a six-five, tatted-up badass whose sinful smile he can’t get out of his mind.
The only problem? Trent’s a notorious womanizer, and Shaw isn’t interested in being someone’s experiment—muse or otherwise. But in a town as small as this one, Shaw is finding it more and more difficult to keep the persistent rocker at arm’s length.
As the tension between them builds, maybe it’s time to finally give in and get carried away with something a little bit like...desire.
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2lU71ns
Start the series of standalones today!
A Little Bit Like Love
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2h40Ltx
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ALittleBitLikeLovesale
Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/ShbNqD
About Brooke:
Brooke Blaine is a USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance that ranges from comedy to suspense to erotic. The latter has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.
If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for years. Or you can reach her at www.BrookeBlaine.com.
Connect with Brooke:
Website: http://www.brookeblaine.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrookeBlaine.Writer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrookeBlaine1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/brookeblaine1/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1i2g15S
Brooke & Ella's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBrellas
The M/M Daily Grind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/941204085967883
If you’d like to be the FIRST to know about a new release, sale, giveaway, or upcoming signings & events, make sure to join Brooke’s mailing list:
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
REVIEW TOUR : DANIEL BY RJ SCOTT
Length: 51,000 words approx
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Legacy Series
Blurb
After the tragic loss of his parents, Corey is head of the family now, and the welfare of his three younger sisters are what matters the most. Corey is desperate to find Daniel, tell him the truth and somehow convince him to keep secrets. Even if this leads to heartbreak.
When the world crumbles around Corey, and Daniel is running scared, Legacy ranch is their only hope.
A new story set in the world of Jack and Riley Campbell-Hayes and the Double D Ranch, Texas.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Eight years ago
I want to go home.
Daniel Chandler trudged miserably down the long black ribbon of road, tears burning his eyes, and hopelessness tightening his chest. The heat of an August Texas day had subsided to a slightly cooler evening, and the sky was a brilliant mass of stars, but he couldn’t bring himself to look up at them anymore.
How had everything gone this badly wrong? Brett had promised that he would take Daniel somewhere far away from his foster family, but one weird question from an inquisitive cashier at a gas station and Brett had panicked. He’d refused to go any further, and said he was going home.
Daniel didn’t want to go back to San Antonio. He wanted freedom, and the ability to decide for himself where his life was going. He’d overheard his foster parents talking about how he was a liability; that he costed them more than they made, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they got rid of him anyway.
So he refused to leave with Brett and got out of the car.
Brett didn’t care, and he drove away, leaving Daniel stranded.
Daniel kicked a stone, stumbling a little when he misjudged the curve of the road. He’d eaten the cereal bars that Brett had tossed him and used up all the water. Which left him in the heat, without food or drink, and carrying a backpack with limited clothes. He also had books—his favorites, and a wallet which contained nothing more than a couple of hundred dollars he’d saved from his gardening job. The only official thing he had in the bag was his ID.
He’d left his most recent home at six-thirty a.m., with no real idea of where he was going or what he was doing, only knowing he wasn’t going to spend another minute in a house where he wasn’t wanted.
Hunching his shoulders against the weight of his backpack, he carried on. Sometimes he hummed to a song in his head. Other times he counted the steps he took, but most of the time he stared ahead, not counting or humming at all.
A car pulled up alongside him. No, a truck, and at first his heart leaped. Brett was back. He’d changed his mind and returned to help Daniel.
A female voice called out. “Can we give you a lift somewhere?” she asked through the open window.
Daniel saw she wasn’t much older than he was, long blonde hair swept up into a ponytail, her smile wide, her expression kind. A man sat in the driver’s seat, but he was in the shadows, and at first, Daniel couldn’t make out his face until he leaned forward. The first thing Daniel noticed was the dog collar, then the same kindly smile as the girl. They were clearly related, both fair, with light eyes and an angular balance to their features.
“Hello, young man. My daughter and I are heading to Laredo. Would you like us to take you?”
He smiled at Daniel, this man in black with the white collar. This was an average family. They probably thought he was a hitchhiker and were offering genuine help. If Daniel couldn’t trust a man of the cloth traveling with his daughter, then who could he trust? He scanned the road behind him, waiting for Brett to suddenly appear and pick him up, but he was tired, hungry, and verging on desperate.
“Thank you.” Daniel opened the back door. He’d never hitchhiked before, didn’t know what the etiquette was, but he felt like he should offer to pay. “I can cover gas,” he said.
“No need for that,” the dad said and extended a hand awkwardly over the seat, which Daniel shook. “Father Frank Martins and this is my daughter Andrea.”
Andrea glanced back at him and grinned again. “Hey.”
“Daniel,” Daniel replied, as mute as usual around a girl as he was with boys. She turned back to the front, and Frank put the truck in drive.
“Buckle up,” he said.
Daniel did as he was told. Then settled back for the ride.
“Where are you from?” Frank asked after a few moments of silence, filled only with the soft sound of tires on blacktop.
“San Antonio,” Daniel answered.
“Really? What brings you this far south?”
Andrea shushed her dad, “Stop asking him questions, Daddy.”
Her dad huffed a gentle laugh. “Sorry.” He used the mirror to see Daniel. “You like music?”
Daniel nodded, thankful to Andrea for running interference.
Frank fiddled with the stereo. Country music filled the cab, and Frank hummed along. Andrea was on her phone, as evidenced by the glow of light as screens changed, and Daniel regretted leaving his phone at home. In his mad, stupid, anger, he’d wanted no way for his foster parents to keep tabs on him, but right now, he kind of wished he could phone them. He should pluck up the courage and ask Andrea to borrow hers. Maybe give his foster-parents a quick call, apologize, get them to pick him up, or at least arrange a bus.
They would help him. He didn’t doubt that. Even if he’d been an idiot and they wanted to hand him off to the next family, they would never leave a fourteen year old kid stranded miles from home.
“You thirsty?” Frank asked, and before Daniel could answer, Frank had unlocked the glove box and pulled out a bottle of water, passing it back to Daniel.
He took it with grateful thanks and downed a third of it in thirsty gulps. They reached the outskirts of a small town, and the car slowed to a stop outside a cookie-cutter house, a pretty place with manicured lawns.
Andrea turned around to look at Daniel.
“This is where I get out,” she announced. “Nice to meet you, Daniel.”
I thought they were both going on to Laredo?
Frank turned around as well. “I can take you all the way into the city. It’s only another ten minutes or so to the bus station or somewhere like that? A hostel?”
“I’m not sure—”
Frank interrupted, “Or you could stay the night here or a motel. We have one a few blocks down from here.”
Andrea shut the door and jogged up to the house, vanishing inside.
“Could I just borrow your phone?” Daniel asked.
Frank smiled, nodded, and pulled out his phone, tutting as he did so. “Oh my, the phone’s dead. You want to use my house phone? Or shall I just get you to the city? The bus station, right? They have public phones there.”
So many decisions. So many difficult choices, he thought and yawned.
“Yeah.” Daniel just wanted to get home.
“Yeah, what?” Frank prompted.
Daniel blinked at him. He was tired, and everything felt kind of hazy. “Yeah, home.” Back to his pretend parents and his pretend family, but back to a warm bed.
“Come on. Get in the front here.”
Daniel did as he was told, his limbs feeling heavy, and his coordination shit. Finally, he was belted in the front, and he closed his eyes briefly, exhaustion washing over him.
“That’s a good boy,” Frank murmured. “You sleep now.”
The country music got quieter, Frank’s humming was louder, and the journey to the city took a long time, the car swaying, and Daniel’s head thicker, full of softness and a weird kind of peace. He saw fields and signs, but none of them made any sense. Finally, he couldn’t fight the overwhelming lethargy, so he slept.
And woke up in hell.
RJ’s goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.
RJ is the author of the over one hundred novels and discovered romance in books at a very young age. She realized that if there wasn’t romance on the page, she could create it in her head, and is a lifelong writer.
She lives and works out of her home in the beautiful English countryside, spends her spare time reading, watching films, and enjoying time with her family.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit and has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.
Goodreads Page
RJ’s Blog
RJ on Twitter
Library Thing Page
Tumblr (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)
Daniel by R.J. ScottMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I went blind when I read Daniel, because I haven't read the earlier books before (blame me),. This is actually the continuation of the previous events about what happened in the past. I was glad that I have read the spoilers in this book before I dive to another two. To know that Daniel and the other guys are now okay and happy is the most important.
Daniel had a very dark past when he's only fourteen, it's good that the author was kind enough not to give the detail on page. That's important. I just can't stand (view spoiler).
Corey met Daniel in a not very good situation, and they had to hold their attraction to each other before they solved what happened in the past. Both need a closure.
I liked how RJ didn't rush their relationship, it was a slow burn, the romance and sexy time was on the right time. I loved the chemistry between Corey and Daniel, they're bond by the past, cope with it, and worked hard to find their happy ending. Both did the adjustment in mature way, I might say.
Now I need to dive to the previous books, I hope nothing's too hard for my weak heart.
Recommended!
* ARC is provided by Signal Boost for Lelyana's Reviews.
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